I hate computers but....

[chook]

I hate computers. They smell like work to me. They cost hard earned money to buy. They are out of date by the time you get them home. And they often break down just when it is most inconvienent to do so. I sold my first computer years ago and bought a router with the cash. The router still works great and the computer is land fill.

But the one saving grace of computers is that it gives me access to information like this BB. Yesterday morning I needed to find out about bandsaw blades. So I asked the question in the forum on bandsaws and very quickly I had all the information that I needed. Good practical information too, from people who had tried the solutions themselves.

[Daddles]

Computers are good. Computers are great ... especially the bits small enough to throw at stray cats.

I have a genuine love/hate relationship with my computer. Actually, not so much this one. My earlier computers were put together by a shop. Endless troubles one way or another. Some serious. Most just irritants. But with the speed and storage on modern computers, I decided that there was no way I was going to have to upgrade within the life of the brute, so I bought a Dell on the grounds that at least all the bits should be fully compatible. She's served me without a drama for the six months I've owned her. I love my black box. But I'm also a lot more cunning with how I use computers now.

I spend my life on a word processor and have worked out how to get around the problems that Micro$oft don't see worthy to fix. Sadly, I have to use Word because it's the only word processor that gives me the format that I need without a lot of stuffing about - I've tried nearly ten different word processors. The one that saddened me most was Open Office - smooth, strong, basically error free, produces tiny files, but you can't get it to do one tiny function that's important to me.

Computers. They aren't essential, but neither are most of the power tools we have in our sheds ... but we wouldn't work without the things now.

Richard

[echnidna]

I've tried nearly ten different word processors. The one that saddened me most was Open Office - smooth, strong, basically error free, produces tiny files, but you can't get it to do one tiny function that's important to me.

I trust you have commented about this shortcoming to the Open Office website. Constructive comment is important to open source development.

Btw. One of our computer woodies may have worked out a practical workaround to the deficiency

[seriph1]

computers are a necessary tool

much like m'self really